Strong response from Russia to reports of Musk’s SpaceX satellites being used for espionage purposes on behalf of US
Russian officials have issued a strong response to reports of Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellites being used for espionage purposes on behalf of the United States. Russia stated that it was aware of efforts by US intelligence to utilize commercial satellite operators like SpaceX and considered these efforts to render SpaceX satellites legitimate targets.
According to a Reuters report on March 16, based on information from five sources close to the matter, SpaceX, owned by American billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, allegedly established a spy satellite network consisting of hundreds of satellites through an agreement with US intelligence agencies. The spy satellite network, reportedly built by SpaceX’s Starshield unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in 2021, aims to enhance the US government’s and military’s ability to rapidly identify potential targets worldwide if successful.
Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated to reporters that they were aware of Washington’s efforts to utilize the private sector for its military space objectives. Zakharova remarked that such systems, including military ones, had become legitimate targets for retaliatory measures.
China also expressed its discontent with the reports. The Chinese military and state media accused the US of posing a threat to global security. A social media account managed by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) criticized the SpaceX program for exposing the “shamelessness and double standards” of the US government. The PLA-controlled account, Junzhengping, emphasized the need for all countries to be vigilant and safeguard against new and even greater security threats created by the US government.
